Library at Mississippi College Law School Receives National Award

June 2, 2014

Mississippi College’s School of Law Library is the recipient of a national award for providing speedy access to key government documents.

The honor comes from the Chicago-based American Association of Law Libraries. Founded in 1906, the group consists of nearly 5,000 members.

The MC Law Library earned its 2014 Public Access to Government Information Award. The association each year recognizes individuals or organizations making significant contributions to protect and promote greater public access to government information.

The award will be noted when the group gathers for its 107th annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas July 12-15 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.

The user-friendly web site features frequently updated video clips of bills and major resolutions of the House and Senate as issues spark debate at the Capitol in Jackson. In addition, MC’s Law Library offers a handy summary of daily legislative action. Users can easily search content by bill number, author and description.

Stephen Parks, the MC Law research, instructional services and circulation librarian, is delighted to accept the honor.

“Providing convenient, readily available government-produced materials remains an important goal,” Parks said. “We at Mississippi College hope to help increase public access to those crucial, timely resources.”

The American Association of Law Libraries was founded to promote law libraries’ value to the legal and public communities. The group also seeks to boost the law librarianship profession and strengthen leadership in the legal information field.

The organization launched its annual public access to government information award in 1998.

Situated just one block from the Mississippi Capitol, the MC Law Library’s Legislative History Project serves to “inform the public and make them better citizens,” says dean Jim Rosenblatt.

Besides its focus on the work of the Mississippi Legislature, the site also equips citizens with an excellent source of information about the legislative history of the state’s court system, Rosenblatt said. “I am not aware that any other state provides this type of access.”

Rosenblatt thanked Parks for his hard work to prepare and maintain the information-packed site at the MC Law Library.

In recent years, the MC School of Law has served Mississippians by hosting live televised debates for important political races for the U.S. Senate, governor and Jackson mayor.